Where is the FEEDS/RSS tutorial video???

[Confused_Dude]

Back on July 16, in another post linked below, Jason Caldwell said that he would provide a tutorial video for those of us needing to know how to protect rss feeds and most specifically podcast feeds distributed by iTunes and other podcast directories.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=837&p=28558#p28558

Where can I find this video tutorial??? The test link that Jason provided in the link above does not work. I need to know how to achieve RSS feed protection pronto!!! Jason are you out there???

HELP!!!!

[Eduan]

Thanks for the heads up on this thread.

I can certainly understand the frustration. I don't have time to do a full video at the moment, but I will certainly consider that for the future. For now, I'll just do a quick tutorial in this thread.

Please let me know if any of you have trouble.

1. Upload your feed itself ( i.e. your XML file ), along with all MP3 and other media files into the /plugins/s2member-files/ directory so that everything is guarded from public access. Or, if you'd prefer to use Amazon S3 storage, that's fine too. s2Member comes preintegrated with Amazon S3.

The most important thing with iTunes, is that your feed itself MUST also be password protected ( e.g. also uploaded to the /s2member-files/ directory ), otherwise the iTunes software client will NOT be capable of downloading protected files once it connects to and updates your Podcast feed. When your feed is protected ( as it must be for this to work ), the iTunes software will automatically prompt you to enter a Username/Password, thanks to s2Member's Remote Header Authorization ( i.e. s2member_file_remote=1 ).

2. Now formulate the link to your XML feed for iTunes. Yours might look something like this:

Code: Select all

http://jason.websharks-inc.net/?s2member_file_remote=1&s2member_file_download=itunes.xml

3. Now formulate the links to all media that you're protecting as well.
A protected file being served with Remote Header Authorization might look like this:

Code: Select all

http://jason.websharks-inc.net/?s2member_file_remote=1&s2member_file_download=kalimba.mp3

( be sure that your link ends with .mp3, otherwise ITunes will not recognize it as an MP3 file )

4. Review the example file that I've posted (below) as a guideline.
You can test my Test Podcast yourself, using the instructions provided here:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html#testing

The Podcast feed URL for this test is:

Code: Select all

http://jason.websharks-inc.net/?s2member_file_remote=1&s2member_file_download=itunes.xml

( includes one MP3 file with song: Kalimba )

Code: Select all

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:itunes = "http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" version = "2.0">
    <channel>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <title>Jason's Test Podcast</title>
        <link>http://jason.websharks-inc.net/</link>
        <itunes:author>Jason Caldwell</itunes:author>
        <itunes:subtitle>Demonstrates s2Member's Remote Header Authorization</itunes:subtitle>
        <itunes:summary>Demonstrates s2Member's Remote Header Authorization</itunes:summary>
        <description>Demonstrates s2Member's Remote Header Authorization</description>
        <itunes:owner>
            <itunes:name>Jason Caldwell</itunes:name>
            <itunes:email>websharks-group@googlegroups.com</itunes:email>
        </itunes:owner>
        <itunes:image href = "http://jason.websharks-inc.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/itunes-icon.png" />
        <itunes:category text = "Technology">
            <itunes:category text = "Gadgets" />
        </itunes:category>
        <item>
            <title>Test MP3 File</title>
            <itunes:author>Unknown</itunes:author>
            <itunes:subtitle>Kalimba</itunes:subtitle>
            <itunes:summary>Track that comes with Windows 7.</itunes:summary>
            <itunes:image href = "http://jason.websharks-inc.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/itunes-icon.png" />
            <enclosure url = "http://jason.websharks-inc.net/?s2member_file_remote=1&amp;s2member_file_download=kalimba.mp3" length = "8409550" type = "audio/mpeg" />
            <guid>http://jason.websharks-inc.net/?s2member_file_remote=1&amp;s2member_file_download=kalimba.mp3</guid>
            <pubDate>Wed, 1 Jul 2011 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <itunes:duration>5:48</itunes:duration>
            <itunes:keywords>testing,s2member</itunes:keywords>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>

* Be sure that links containing ampersands ( & ) are converted to HTML entities inside your XML file ( i.e. & becomes & ). See: http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/sp ... onmistakes

Hope this helps.

[Confused_Dude]

Eduan,

Thanks for your input but above you only provided the exact same info from the post that I linked to in my original comments. As I stated, the test podcast Jason provided shows page not found message when clicked on. So it appears to me that this info may be outdated and no long working. Hence the reason I am try to get a reply from Jason to see if he can do a tutorial video on this subject without further delay. Jason's post above is from July 16, 2011. I think by now on Dec. 2, 2011 there is no good reason why a tutorial video has not been provided on this subject.

[Cristián Lávaque]

I just tried the links in Jason's post and they were both working.

[Confused_Dude]

Ok I will try these links again and report back if they are or are not working for me.
Regardless, its been 5 months since Jason said he would do a video tutorial on this subject matter and I think as of Dec. 4, 2011, its long overdue. Does Jason read this forum? Is he aware of various requests and goings on here?

Thanks

[Eduan]

Hello Confused_Dude,
yes, Jason is active, he probably had this on his mind and with the releases it just slipped his mind, but don't worry, he's an active user.

[Confused_Dude]

Ok can someone email Jason directly and ask him to provide a tutorial video on the subject. He promised this nearly 6 months ago and some of us really need this tutorial video a.s.a.p.

[Cristián Lávaque]

I don't have time to do a full video at the moment, but I will certainly consider that for the future.

He didn't promise it. I agree it'd be cool, but he did give a tutorial in that post.

I'll let him know about your interest for a video on this.

[Jason Caldwell]

I hear ya! More videos will be forth coming very soon.

[Confused_Dude]

I hear ya! More videos will be forth coming very soon.

Thanks Jason for responding. I hope you put this a "FEEDS/RSS" video tutorial at the top of your to-do video list.

Also check out this webpage from Apple.com stating:
"Can I password-protect my podcast?
iTunes client application supports Basic and Digest Authorization, but the iTunes Store does not list password-protected podcasts."

Is there a way the s2Members can get around this restriction in order to allow podcasters who use s2member, to get listed and be findable in the itunes store???

[Jason Caldwell]

I'll post a link to this forum walk-through for the benefit of other readers.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=837&p=28558#p28558

Regarding a workaround for protected podcasts via iTunes...
I would suggest creating a free version of your podcast, which you could have listed at iTunes. If they don't list protected feeds, I'm not sure what other option you would have at this point. Perhaps you can offer something for free, as a way to introduce yourself via this marketing channel.

[Confused_Dude]

I'll post a link to this forum walk-through for the benefit of other readers.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=837&p=28558#p28558

Regarding a workaround for protected podcasts via iTunes...
I would suggest creating a free version of your podcast, which you could have listed at iTunes. If they don't list protected feeds, I'm not sure what other option you would have at this point. Perhaps you can offer something for free, as a way to introduce yourself via this marketing channel.

The "FREEBIE" idea is precisely what I had already planned to initiate. Glad to hear that you concur that this is a good approach.